A green lung right in the heart of the city. There are several already, but from April 1st you will also be able to enjoy the tranquillity of the Silent Garden at the Archiepiscopal Palace. This green space located between the Wollemarkt and Schoutetstraat will be open three days a week. Take a stroll in the garden and admire the sheds, the Lourdes grottoes, the pavilion but also the garden wall itself, all of which have just been restored. With the emphasis on silence, this little oasis right under St Rumbold’s Tower is just the place to switch off the technology and unwind.

Not far from the Church of Gesù Nuovo, Basilica di Santa Chiara is a religious complex dating from the 1300s, which includes the Church of Santa Chiara, a monastery, tombs, and a museum, that collects historical documents, sacred relics, and marble statues.

Downtown Anchorage is small, easy to get around, and a good starting point for just about anything you’re planning in the city. You’ll find coffee shops, local restaurants, souvenir stores, and a handful of bars. If you’re gearing up for an adventure, there are outfitters and bike rentals nearby, too. Plus, it’s home to the Anchorage Museum, the start of the Coastal Trail, and Ship Creek, where you can fish for salmon or just watch the action.

County Kildare is home to the windswept Bog of Allen, and to a leisurely section of the restored Royal Canal. There’s a masterpiece of an 8th-century High Cross in Moone. Maynooth Castle anchors the leafy university town of the same name. Kildare is also home to one of Ireland’s great driving routes. Following the course of the Gordon Bennett Cup, which saw racing daredevils whizz through Kildare, Carlow and Laois in 1903, the 104-mile circuit recalls a time when Ireland’s speed limit was just 12mph. The county is a marvellous mix of old and new, of natural landscapes and precisely manicured gardens, of horseracing competitions and stylish fashion events.